Sakinalu Recipe (Telangana Rice and Sesame Spirals)

Quick answer: Sakinalu are crisp spirals of fresh rice flour, sesame seeds, ajwain (carom seeds) and salt. The dough is pressed by hand into rings on a cotton cloth, dried for 1 to 2 hours, then fried on medium heat until pale golden. In Telangana homes, Sankranti is hardly complete without them.

Kitchen note: This recipe is not yet kitchen-tested by a HinduTone cook. The quantities and timings follow common home methods; judge doneness by look and texture, and adjust for your stove and ingredients.

Sakinalu and Sankranti

Sakinalu are a Telangana festival snack, made around Makar Sankranti when the new paddy has been harvested. Making them is a shared job: women of the family and neighbours often sit together to shape them on cloth, and the finished sakinalu go to relatives through the festival. Deccan Chronicle has reported that smaller families increasingly buy them from shops, but the home-made batch is still the custom in many homes.

In India in 2027, Bhogi falls on Thursday 14 January, Sankranti on Friday 15 January and Kanuma on Saturday 16 January. Because sakinalu keep for weeks, you can make them several days before Bhogi. Confirm festival timings with your local panchang or temple priest.

Naivedyam notes

Sakinalu are a savoury snack, not usually a main naivedyam item. If you place them before the deity with the festival sweets, set aside the first ones before anyone eats.

Ingredients

• Raw rice (sona masuri or another short-grain raw rice, not parboiled): 400 g (2 cups)
• White sesame seeds: 70 g (1/2 cup)
• Ajwain (carom seeds): 2 g (1 teaspoon)
• Salt: about 8 g (about 1 1/2 teaspoons)
• Lukewarm water: 150 to 200 ml (about 2/3 to 3/4 cup, added gradually)
• Oil for deep-frying: about 750 ml (about 3 cups)

Method

1. Rinse the rice two or three times and soak it for about 4 hours.
2. Drain well and spread it on a cotton cloth for about 15 minutes, until it is surface-dry but still slightly damp.
3. Grind it in small batches to a fine flour. Sieve it, regrind the coarse bits, and sieve again. You should have about 3 cups of flour.
4. Crush the ajwain lightly between your palms. Mix the flour, sesame, ajwain and salt in a wide bowl.
5. Add lukewarm water a little at a time and knead to a soft, smooth dough that is neither stiff nor sticky. Keep it covered with a damp cloth.
6. Spread a clean, dry cotton cloth (an old dhoti or sari works well) on a flat surface or a tray.
7. Take a small ball of dough in your fingers. Holding your hand above the cloth, press the dough out between your thumb and fingers in a thin rope, moving in a circle from the centre outward to make three or four rings. Pinch the end to the outer ring.
8. If the dough starts to crack, wet your fingers or knead in a few drops of water.
9. Let the spirals dry in the shade for 1 to 2 hours, until the surface feels dry but they are not brittle.
10. Lift each one gently with a flat spatula or a thin plate.
11. Heat the oil in a heavy, deep pan, no more than one-third full, on medium heat. Slide in two or three sakinalu at a time.
12. Fry, turning once, until they are crisp and light golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. They should stay pale, not brown.
13. Drain on a rack or paper towels. Cool completely before storing.

Is there an oven or air-fryer version?

Sakinalu are traditionally deep-fried, and that is where their light crunch comes from. We do not give an oven or air-fryer method, because it would not give the traditional result.

Deep-frying safety

• Stay at the stove the whole time. If you must leave, switch the heat off.
• Keep children and pets well away from the stove, and turn pan handles inward.
• Never let water reach hot oil. Make sure the spirals are surface-dry and your spatula is dry.
• Keep the heat at medium. If the oil smokes, turn it down at once.
• If oil catches fire, switch off the heat and cover the pan with a lid or baking sheet. Never use water, and never carry a burning pan.
• Keep a working smoke alarm and open a window or run the extractor fan.

Ingredient substitutions abroad

Home-ground or store-bought rice flour? Home-ground flour from soaked rice gives the classic light, crisp sakinalu. Store-bought dry flour can work: use the finest you can find, sieve it, and knead with warm water. It needs more water and cracks more easily while shaping. Never use glutinous or "sweet" rice flour, which turns chewy.

Common mistakes

• Dough too stiff. The spirals crack as you press them. Add water a few drops at a time.
• Not drying long enough. Damp spirals spatter and turn oily. Dry them until the surface feels dry.
• Drying too long. Over-dried spirals break when lifted.
• Oil too hot. They brown outside and stay soft inside. Fry on medium heat.
• Thick spirals. They stay hard in the centre. Keep the rope thin.

Storage

Cool completely and store in an airtight tin or jar at room temperature. Kept dry and away from humidity, sakinalu stay crisp for several weeks. If they soften, re-crisp in a warm oven for a few minutes.

Allergens and dietary notes

Sakinalu contain sesame, which is a common allergen. They are vegan and contain no dairy, nuts or wheat. If you fry in groundnut (peanut) oil, tell guests with a peanut allergy.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between sakinalu and murukku?

Both are crisp rice-flour spirals. Sakinalu are shaped by hand on cloth, dried before frying, and seasoned mainly with sesame and ajwain. Murukku is usually pressed through a mould and seasoned differently.

Why do my sakinalu break when I lift them?

They dried too long, or the dough was too stiff. Lift them as soon as the surface is dry, using a thin spatula.

Why are my sakinalu hard?

The spirals were too thick, or the oil was too hot. Keep the rope thin and fry on medium heat.

Can I make sakinalu without drying them?

Drying is what makes them crisp and keeps them from absorbing oil. Do not skip it.

How far ahead can I make sakinalu for Sankranti?

They keep for several weeks in an airtight tin, so you can make them a week or more before Bhogi.

Can I use black sesame seeds?

White sesame is traditional. Black sesame works, but the sakinalu look darker and taste slightly stronger.

Sources

• The Hans India, "Learn How to Prepare Sakinalu: Telangana's Traditional Snack", 16 July 2022 (ingredients, soaking, drying on cloth): https://thehansindia.com/life-style/food/learn-how-to-prepare-sakinalu-telanganas-traditional-snack-753708 (accessed 12 November 2026)
• The News Minute, "The taste of Sankranthi: Six dishes made in Telugu households", 7 January 2021 (Sankranti role in Telangana; keeping time): https://www.thenewsminute.com/andhra-pradesh/taste-sankranthi-six-dishes-made-telugu-households-140992 (accessed 12 November 2026)
• Deccan Chronicle, "Women see ready-made Chakinalu in food outlets", 10 January 2025 (making in groups; shop-bought trend): https://deccanchronicle.com/southern-states/telangana/women-see-ready-made-chakinalu-in-food-outlets-1853307 (accessed 12 November 2026)
• The South First, "Celebrating the flavours and fervour of Makar Sankranti in Andhra, Telangana, and Karnataka", 14 January 2024: https://thesouthfirst.com/featured/flashback-of-flavours-and-fervour-of-makar-sankranti-in-andhra-and-telangana (accessed 12 November 2026)
• Wikipedia, "Sakinalu" (harvest link; weddings): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sakinalu (accessed 12 November 2026)
• U.S. Fire Administration, "Cooking fire safety": https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/home-fires/prevent-fires/cooking/ (accessed 12 November 2026)

Last reviewed: 12 November 2026.

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